1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a lever-type connector and to a connector assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H08-162209 discloses a lever-type connector with first and second housings that can be connected with one another. The first housing is formed with a supporting shaft and a lever is formed with a bearing hole mounted rotatably on the supporting shaft. The lever is formed with a cam groove and the second housing is formed with a cam follower that can engage in the cam groove. The first and second housing are fit lightly together with the lever at an initial position so that the cam follower enters the cam groove. The lever then is rotated to a connected position.
A retaining projection is formed at the leading end of the supporting shaft and a cutout is formed in the inner circumference of the bearing hole. The retaining projection and the cutout are aligned to permit engagement of the supporting shaft and the bearing hole only when the lever is at an assembled position that is reached by rotating the lever from the initial position in a direction opposite to the rotational direction toward the connection position. The retaining projection is not aligned with the cutout and engages the opening edge of the bearing hole in the process of rotating the lever between the initial position and the connection position, i.e. in the process of connecting or separating the two housings. Therefore the bearing hole is not disengaged from the supporting shaft.
The connecting operation of the above-described connector is started with the lever at the initial position. Thus, a positioning projection is formed on the first housing and a positioning hole is formed on the lever. The positioning projection engages the positioning hole to hold the lever at the initial position. However, the positioning projection abrades against the inner surface of the lever in the process of rotating the lever from the assembled position to the initial position. Hence the positioning projection may be deformed and crushed. An engagement margin between the positioning projection and the positioning hole decreases if the positioning projection is crushed, and the lever is held less reliably at the initial position.
A resiliently deformable locking projection might be provided on the first housing or the lever and a locking recess could be provided on the other of the first housing and the lever for engaging the locking projection in an effort to avoid the above-described problem. According to this construction, the locking projection can be deformed resiliently to escape from a mating member in the process of rotating the lever from the assembled position to the initial position. Therefore, the locking projection is not likely to be broken.
However, the locking projection of this possible connector would be pressed against the mating member due to its resilient restoring force. Thus, the locking projection may possibly be deformed upon mounting the lever.
The invention was developed in view of the above, and an object thereof is to improve the reliability of holding a lever at an initial position.